Posts Tagged ‘ energy efficiency ’

Discover the Solutions for Drafty Uncomfortable Homes

February 1, 2011
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The energy efficiency movement is starting to impact the awareness of how the indoor conditions of an existing building can be greatly improved. Homeowners who once dread the winter months and thought that they had to live with the pain of a drafty uncomfortable home are now increasingly seeking to improve these homes.

This search often brought homeowners out into the marketplace looking for solutions and the best professional help. As a result, we are seeing the most solid growth rate in weatherization services in recent years, local companies that position themselves as the brand to trust are experiencing the most explosive growth. Indeed, some spare no media opportunity to publicize their service and are bold in the assurance that the benefits of weatherization services are the improved comfort, health and efficiency of your home. Homeowners, it appears, are getting the message and are acting on it.

We have also been listening and acting, here is what we recommend and you should expect from your contractor. We know that regardless of the term that is used to describe the process, weatherizing your home is the surest way to improve its interior comfort and efficiency thereby alleviating the stress of the approaching winter. We believe that, the execution of the following basic three-step process of sealing (air sealing and duct sealing), insulation and venting when well coordinated produces optimum results in improved indoor environment.

Sealing leaks

In the first step your house is sealed off from the outside air. A blower door test will find out exactly how much conditioned air is being lost to unconditioned space. Once this is determined, work crew will seal off the house and the duct work from the outside air. This is done through the application of a variety of techniques and an array of products including foam board, expandable foam, duct mastic, caulking, and other specialized products.

Insulating

In the second step insulation is applied in your home is to stop heat from escaping. This is done with the use of various insulation products, but blown cellulose is a primary choice and is deposited in attic and exterior wall cavities. Cellulose is made with recycled newspaper treated with a fire retardant. again, cellulose is used as it has superior insulating and air blocking properties than other option such as fiberglass.

Ventilation

In the third step, at a minimum, the venting system must be checked to ensure proper venting of high moisture areas such as kitchen and bathrooms. Proper venting means that these areas are vented to the outside to control the moisture out put from cooking and showers. In addition, to conclude the weatherization project a final blower door test is recommended to provide quantitative evidence of the before and after conditions. However the real evidence to many contractors is often the many satisfied homeowners who are now proud members of their referral team.

In brief, weatherization, the three-step process of sealing, insulation and ventilation is designed to improve the comfort, health and efficiency of your home with the added benefit of saving you money on your utility bills throughout the year.

Retrofitboston.com is produced by the management of Caledonia Construction Co., Inc.

The New Rules of Home Improvement

January 25, 2011
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Many homeowners are beginning to recognize the higher standards that are being demanded from home improvement contractors.The new rules of certification, accreditation and independent verification have complemented well the old ways of selecting a contractor so that the two established a benchmark that bodes well for the professional perception of the industry. It is not a coincident that in 2010 credentialing and training organizations have achieved their highest growth rate in recent years.

I believe that a profound shift is taken place in the home improvement industry. This shift has embraced certification, accreditation and independent verification as the new rules of doing business. As a contractor who has been in the business for many years, for me, this shift means one thing – a chance to dominate a market by showcasing a brand that understands and welcomes the new reality. Indeed, homeowners are beginning to demand this higher standard of training and perceived credibility to measure value. And, the surest way to achieve this is by checking for (vividly transparent because of social media) the credential of companies and the skill of their people. Now, besides the old ways of relying chiefly on word-of-mouth recommendation, customers will be able to more independently check for and measure the training and professional underpinning of a company. This is quite a significant development in the home improvement business brought on by dramatic emphasis on energy efficiency improvements in building.

The Federal government and large utility companies have contributed to this by providing tax credits and purchase rebates respectively for energy efficiency improvement initiatives. States have seized on these opportunities and have enacted changes to their building codes to encourage higher efficiency standards in building. The State of Massachusetts for example, has enacted the ‘Stretch Energy Code’” which its cities and towns are adopting to promote energy efficiency improvement to their building stock. The execution of these strategies create jobs, save money on utility bills and decrease the Carbon output to the environment from buildings. The savviest of small home improvement contractors are using these new rules to improve their companies’ image to portray a well trained professional operation. The majority of the buildings in the nation are in need of some sort of energy efficiency improvement, if we are committed to improving our building stock then the adoption of these new rules are just the start of the revolutionizing of the home improvement industry.

To be clear, the changes that are taking root are a result of the budding Home Performance Improvement industry that is taking shape and which is buttress by the Building Performance Institute (BPI), a national credentialing and training organization. Indeed, I believe two things:  One, this is setting a new benchmark for the professional assessing of the home remodeling industry. Two, brand recognition will be an important criteria in selecting a home improvement company. The companies that recognize this and make the necessary positioning adjustments will be the winners.

All in all, these new rules that are required to operate a professional home performance improvement entity will no doubt usher in a change in the negative perception of the the home remodeling industry in general.

Retrofitboston.com produced by Caledonia Construction

Think Sustainable and Green

January 20, 2011
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Over the past couple of years I have attended many seminars mostly on topics relating to green building and the environment. In truth, I was determined to make good use of the construction down time, in this economy, with a goal to learning as much as I could about home performance improvement. One such seminar taught me that the terms sustainable building and green construction have become more than simple buzz words, they have become policies promoted by the government. Policies which at their roots are designed to change the way we think about and use energy in the construction and operation of buildings. The ‘sustainable building,’ concept dictates the integration of efficiency strategies and processes that are adapted during the design, construction and operation of a building project. Green construction is the use of building materials in these processes that offer environmental benefits to the building owners (homeowners) and the wider society in specific ways. Some Advantages of Sustainable Building:

Better Design
Reduced cost of maintenance over life span of structure
Improved effect on environment and occupants
Improved interior comfort
Improved energy conservation and efficiency

Overall, the Impact of adapting Green Construction has far-reaching implications considering that Constructing buildings worldwide consumes almost 3 billion tons of raw materials annually (this, I learn at one of the seminars). When contractors, architects and professionals in the building industry adapted green construction strategies they are helping to reduce the impact on the environment. Green building projects improve the adverse effects on the environment of extraction, fabrication, transportation, installation and disposal of building source material. Additionally, green building material is first biodegradable or created with renewable resources. This ensures that they have positive impacts on the environment throughout the life of the building. While there may be hundreds of different material available, most material are selected by these builders on the basis of:
Energy and resource efficiency: Materials with measurable recycled content, natural and renewable, efficient manufacturing process, minimizing waste, available locally, easily salvaged and refurbished plus durable.

Indoor air quality: The use materials that are non-carcinogenic, non-irritants, non toxic to the reproductive process and have no adverse effect on human and animal occupants. Materials used indoors would also be easily maintained and moisture resistant to inhibit growth of toxic mold and other contaminants.

Water conservation: Systems and materials that help to reduce the consumption of water.

Affordability: Using materials that have a longer life cycle and are easily obtained geographically and are within the project defined budgeted amount.

All in all, if you have already been exposed to the terms sustainable building and green construction, then adding energy efficiency improvement, home performance improvement, renewable energy (to list just a few more) to the group will only serve to dramatize the movement afoot to change the way we think about and use energy in our buildings.

Retrofitboston.com is produced by Caledonia Construction Co., Inc

The Effects of Energy Efficiency Home Improvement

December 9, 2010
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If you own a home that you sometimes find draughty and expensive to heat – then you could benefit from carrying out energy efficiency home improvements. An energy efficient home is not only more environmentally responsible, it is also much more economical in the long run. When you take steps to stop air leaks and improve the insulation in your attic, basement and walls, these steps can mean your house stays warmer and you are more comfortable through the winter months when those cold winds seem to seep in from the outside. Be assured, steps taken to improve energy efficiency is likely to be far more beneficial than you realize particularly in an older home. Indeed, effects are likely to be as far reaching as helping to create a viable home performance industry while improving our environment.

What is energy efficient home improvement?
Energy efficient home improvement is about creating a home that is comfortable and uses less energy to heat and cool, because it is well sealed against air leaks and well insulated against heat transfer. When a home is poorly insulated, the use of a heating system can be undermined by loss of heat through lack of insulation in the walls and attic, poorly fitted windows and doors that let in draughts and so on. By taking measures to correct these problems, you’ll be able to improve the energy efficiency of your home – and that can mean significant savings on energy bills.

The following are some of the ways in which you can improve the energy efficiency of your home:

Diagnostic Tools
The best way to address problems in older homes or homes that have few energy efficiency measures taken during construction is through running some diagnostic tests to find the home’s ‘weak points’ when it comes to energy efficiency. These tests can assess how tightly the home is sealed and pinpoint the locations where hot air is escaping from the home. These tests examined areas such as ductwork systems, attics/roofs, basements, exterior wall cavities, utilities entry points and so on. Ultimately, the tests will determine how efficient or inefficient for that matter your home is; whether you have draughts that is allowed to come in unhindered, whether or not you have insulation in your attic or walls and whether you have insulating windows and well sealed doors etc.

Window insulations - When you have windows that are not insulated, you can experience loss of heat in two ways. First, if your windows are older (such as on a traditional, character home) then you may get heat loss via gaps or spaces around the window. Second, the home may have single glazed windows which lose heat via heat transfer. The Repairing or replacing of older windows with energy efficient ones can help to prevent further loss of heat; which in turn can improve the comfort of your home. To address the second issue, you may opt to have the windows double or triple glazed (using heat reflecting glass), or have polythene insulation installed to help minimise heat transfer and keep the maximum amount of heat inside your home. Other applications such as heavy drapes across the windows during the winter can also further reduce heat loss to the outside.

Door insulations - If you have glass doors, then many of the same principles apply to insulating these as you would your windows. Additionally, draught proofing or weather stripping is one of the simple things you may want to consider when air sealing your homes; Preventing draughts from entering rooms also means preventing heat from escaping. These applications are quick and simple to install and they can make a big difference to your home. It is also possible to carry out improvements to your home by having insulated outer doors installed by a professional. Some of these doors are solid, sturdy doors that will help to reduce heat loss because they contain insulation within their core.

Air sealing - This process refers to the sealing of the less obvious draft spots in the home. If you have a draft under a door, you may be able to stop it with a weather strip, but a significant amount of heat loss can take place via gaps and holes in basements, crawl spaces and attics or lofts. In order to eliminate heat loss in these locations, it is worthwhile to hire a contractor to assess your home for leakage, carry out sealing around areas where leaks are identified is very essential to improving the home’s energy performance. A professional can seal your home quite tightly to improve energy efficiency and prevent loss of heat from these locations.

Duct sealing - If you have reverse cycle air conditioning ducted system in your home, there is a possibility that you will experience issues of heat loss via poorly sealed openings, gaps around the seals of the ducts and so on. If you have an older home that is prone to be draughty, then chances are you are letting a lot of money slip through your fingers, heating a home that is releasing a large proportion of that heat outside conditioned space. The long term cost of this could be significant when compared to the ease of sealing leaky ducts. A professional home performance improvement contractor can help you assess the loss via the ducts and other areas and can help you to correct these problems without inhibiting the function of the system.

Roof/Attic - Insulation in the attic is one of the most effective insulation procedure; helping to keep the warmth in during the cold months and the heat out in the hot months. If you insulate your attic you would be creating one of the most important cost savers for an energy efficient home,for heat loss through the attic can account for up to 20% of the loss of heat from the home. Insulation products for the roof can include traditional fiber glass or you may opt for a more environmentally friendly option such as cellulose which is semi-pulverized recycled newspaper treated with fire and mold spores retardants. This works more efficiently than the regular fiberglass insulation when dense pack, in addition its production is less damaging to the environmet as it is biodegradable.

Basement Walls - After the attic, the basement is the next most important area to air seal and insulate to achieve the greatest energy savings…the transfer point between the foundation and the walls is notoriously leaky. Like the top of a house, the bottom also, has a great amount of pressure pushing air in and out.

Wall insulation - Wall cavities in your house can act in a similar way to double glazing, dense packed these cavities with blown-in cellulose insulation and boost the energy efficiency of your home. Some new homes may have been built with energy saving measure already in place, however older (existing) homes all across the country may have to have this done to achieve desired energy efficiency.

Why energy efficiency matters?
Home energy efficiency improvement matters and should be aggressively pursued because of its obvious job creating potentials, its long term viability as an emerging building performance industry and its increasing importance in the drive to reduce green house gases. The current job market is clearly in need of a ‘shot in the arm.’ There is little doubt that energy-efficient building improvement has the explosive job creating potential that is needed now to help right this economy. Indeed, low income communities all across this country are full of unemployed people who could easily be trained is the relatively low skilled weatherizing techniques.The construction industry, for example, which has loss over 20 percent of its workforce since 2008 would find the strong committment to energy retrofit a welcome development. In addition, innercity neighborhoods where older in-efficient buildings are often the dominant building stock provide a perfect ‘ecosystem’ of desirable buildings and worker pool. Cities such as Boston in the Northeast United States has gotten the message and has embark on the quest to find how to best capitalize on this opportunity.

The long term viability of energy efficiency as a building performance service is attractively promising because of two main reasons. One, to achieve any plausible reform in our national energy policy, this has to be a fundamental piece of the equation. It is becoming clearer that the government recognizes this and is inching its way forward. Cities across the country are brainstorming for creative programs to solve this building energy in-efficiency problem. The city of Boston has a proposal on the table to infrared scan all the buildings in the city to test for heat loss. Two, The national building stock, residential and commercial, is wofully energy in-efficient and must be improve or we will continue to throw money out the window and pollute the enviromnent, clearly, unsustainable options.

Beyond the considerable potential for immediate job creation and the creation of a new industry with all the social benefits attached, reducing climate pollution is an important bi-product of energy efficiency improvement. According to the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, buildings account for about 43% of the total carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S., compared to transportation 32% and industrial 25%. The interesting fact is that activities to improve building energy efficiency are among the most cost effective among alternatives to lower green house gases. The truth is, a homeowner choosing to improve his/her home energy efficiency is in fact contributing to solving the fundamental environmental, social and economic issues of our time.

Why should homeowners care about energy efficiency?
As a homeowner, carrying out improvements to ensure energy efficiency can quickly start to return the money you’ve out-laid. When you air seal,insulate and improve the envelope of your home correctly to prevent the loss of heat, it is effectively cutting out wastage. You wouldn’t go to a store for basics like bread and milk then throw 20% of it out. The fact is you’re ‘throwing out’ a huge amount of your heat Without weatherization and other energy efficient home improvements. If you don’t like the idea of wastage and you don’t want to continue throwing away your money, then you should give serious consideration to having your home weatherize. The correct installation of energy saving insulation in your attic and basement alone can reduce your energy bill by around 20 percent or more; add that to the money you will save by having air sealed, and installed insulated windows and you’ll quickly see that those savings stacking up. A simple way to get started with making energy efficient improvements to your home is to contact a professional. An experienced home performance improvement contractor can run a series of diagnostic tests to measure your home’s efficiency and how tightly it is sealed. Armed with this information, you can then take the steps you must to improve your home’s efficiency in order to start saving the maximum amount of money while enjoying a more comfortable, healthy home.

How to Improve Your Home’s Energy Performance

November 14, 2010
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An energy efficient home will always provide a more comfortable and healthy environment. There are various ways you can improve your home’s energy performance. Some of the methods involve small changes made by your family and some involve bigger changes that can be made by a home performance improvement contractor.

5 small steps you can take to improve your home’s energy performance:

Homeowners are sometimes unaware of how much energy they waste while living in their home. They become used to the high energy bills and assume it is a part of being a homeowner. However, small changes in the way homeowners use energy, can make a huge difference in the home’s energy performance.
1. Thermostat: In summer keep the thermostat above 78 degrees. In winter keep it below 75 degrees (specifically, 68-70 degrees during the day and 55-60 degrees during the night). This reduces the use of energy from 3-5 percent. Ensure your thermostat has automatic regulatory features that will allow you to set it for the times you are away from the home.
2. Air-conditioner: Ensure the air conditioner is the optimal size for your home and properly installed for best energy use.
3. Air vents: Ensure your air vents are regularly cleaned and are not being blocked by furniture or window treatments.
4. Landscaping: Plant trees and shrubs near the house. Make sure they are at the appropriate distances away. The leaves and vines will help keep the dead air space cool and create an external and natural insulation.
5. Window Treatments: Make sure you have window treatments that help reduce drafts and excess sunshine keeping the temperature in your home regulated.

5 Steps a Home Performance Improvement Contractor can make to boost your home’s energy performance:

While the small steps you take will help improve your home’s energy performance, it is the work done by the home improvement contractor that will really boost the energy performance of your home.
1. Air Sealing
A house built under sustainable construction takes into account air movements and weatherproofing. However, most other homes have many ways by which air leaks cause a waste of energy. These areas such as utility entrance points, duct and vent systems, must be identified and sealed.
2. Insulation
Your home has to be adequately insulated, the basement, the walls, the attic and crawlspaces. Optimal insulation can reduce the waste of energy up to 30 percent. The insulation works by establishing the thermal boundary there by decreasing the heating or cooling needed to condition the flow of air in the home.
3. Heating and cooling systems
Ensuring the heating and cooling systems in your home are energy-efficient is essential. Your home improvement contractor can help assess and if necessary, install more efficient models.
4. Appliances, Lighting and More
The type of appliances you use, the lighting system and bulbs, doors and windows all contribute to waste of energy. If they are not energy efficient they will cause your energy bills to pile up. It is essential that your home be assessed to ensure it is energy efficient.
5. Remodeling
Often, older homes may require basic home remodeling to ensure that the building becomes more energy efficient. This may include anything from small improvements to major renovations. However, the end result always provides more value for your home.

Improving Your Home’s Energy Performance
A homeowner does not need to make all the improvements at one time, rather contact a local home performance improvement contractor and get a home evaluation. A good contractor should also be able to advise you on financing resources such as tax credit, rebates and low interest or no interest loans. Finally, You must commit to getting the energy improvement work done. A good tip is to engage in what we call opportunity savings which is the reduction in cost of energy upgrades when timed to coincide with other necessary building maintenance. For example, add extra layers of rigid foam insulation to your exterior walls when executing a planned re-siding project.

Getting to know Building Retrofit

October 26, 2010
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Definition of Building Retrofit
The basic definition of building retrofit is the improvement of the infrastructure of the building to increase its energy efficiency, comfort, safety, health and durability. This could include improving building components, building operating systems and equipment, and installing energy efficient appliances.

Why the Need for Building Retrofit
Buildings account for about 40% of the total energy consumption in the US according to the Department of Energy, which is why policies are being debated by the Federal government to enacted laws to ensure that buildings becomes more energy efficient. States governments searching for ways to better manage costs are already making changes to their building codes to facilitate more energy efficiency construction and improvement to existing buildings.
It is clear, energy efficiency solutions for our homes are no longer an individual crusade. The government has come forward to initiate ground breaking changes to allow homeowners and commercial property owners to adapt more environmentally friendly and energy efficient solutions which help them save money through better utilizing of energy resources.

Why the Government Cares about Building Retrofit
Building retrofit is being promoted by the government because it is unique in providing, as a package, solutions to three far-reaching fundamental priorities, economic development, environmental protection and social goals.
In an effort to achieve these priorities (which I will expand in another post) the Federal government in the short run is providing funding to state governments to carry out retrofit programs while it debates building retrofit priorities in its long term energy policy. In addition, the Federal government is encouraging individuals to adapt energy efficient solutions by providing a dollar for dollar tax credit (up to $1,500) for energy efficiency home improvements.
It is becoming more apparent that government policies are inching towards a long over due comprehensive solution to the nation’s growing energy problem with building retrofit an integral part of the equation. If the government cares, it is therefore logical to assume that laws and penalties to ensure that buildings meet a certain standard of efficiency are to follow.

The bottom line for Retrofit
Building retrofitting scaled up to achieve wide spread participation, claiming the optimum energy efficiency, becomes the foundation on which sustainable and renewal energy are built. The fact is while 40% of energy consumption is through buildings; most structures have not been built for energy efficiency, retrofitting a standard building can realize energy saving that could reduce the adverse effect on the environment

Energy Efficient Replacement Windows

October 11, 2010
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As a homeowner, have you ever asks why you should replace your current windows for more energy efficient replacement windows. It is a legitimate question. Replacing windows can cost the homeowner a large sum of money. However, if the homeowner does install energy efficient windows in his home, he could end up recouping his investment within a few of years. Your windows may offer the best view of the neighborhood but the fact is, they are also some of the prime locations for energy loss in your home. Energy efficient windows can lower the cost of your energy bills by almost 30 percent!

Do your research: In order to make sure that you have the best quality windows installed for your money, make sure you do your research. If you check with the NFRC [National Fenestration Rating Council] or Energy Star you will get an unbiased breakdown of your options. These organizations offer a rating system that will help you, as the homeowners determine, the energy-efficient window, perfect for your  needs.
Rating Information: The rating system has been created on the basis of the following three main factors-
  • U-Factor represents conductive heat loss
  • Solar Heat Gain Coefficient is the amount of direct solar radiant heat that gets in through the window
  • Visible Transmittance is the measure of how much visible light gets through
The way it works:

Double Glazing:
Double glazing is two class combined to create a sash, currently the basic replacement window.  It improves the performance of the windows by reducing the loss of energy through increase insulating.
Air space:
Again, replacement windows that are double glazed have  air space between the two panes of glass. This provides a form of insulation, however, any space more than an inch thick can decrease the energy efficiency. So look for air spaces that are between ¼ to 1/2” thick.
Gas for Low Conductivity:
To further decrease the energy loss manufacturers filled the space between the two panes of glass with dense odorless gases called Argon or Krypton which reduces the conductivity of heat through the glass.
Glass Coats with a Tint:
In order to limit the penetration of UV rays the manufacturers tint the glass in a very subtle way, this increased the efficiency of energy by limiting the penetration of the sun light.
Low-E- Coatings:
Another way to reduce heat loss is by adding a coat of a low emissive [Low-E] compound like silver or tin oxide. Placed on the inside of the glass, this coating is so thin it is not visible to the naked eye but reduces the heat loss by reflecting the heat back into the room.
So, what energy efficient replacement window does your home need?
Depending on where you as the homeowner are located, you would require some or all of the above factors. As a result, replacement window manufacturers create products for all climates and regions.
For best results, opt to have a home performance improvement contractor help you select and install the windows. This will ensure that energy efficient replacement windows are installed for optimum performance.

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